Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-cjp7w Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-07-07T17:16:41.687Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

VEGETABLES AND FRUITS IN A CIRCULAR ECONOMY: PACKAGING CHALLENGES AND DESIGN OPPORTUNITIES

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  19 June 2023

Juliette Broucke ,
Esther Noeth  and
Els Du Bois
Juliette Broucke
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, faculty of Design Sciences, department Product Development
Esther Noeth
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, faculty of Design Sciences, department Product Development
Els Du Bois*
Affiliation:
University of Antwerp, faculty of Design Sciences, department Product Development
*
Du Bois, Els, University of Antwerp, Belgium, [email protected]

Abstract

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Packaging of potatoes, vegetables and fruits (PVF) currently deals with the fragile opposition of food waste reduction and packaging resource consumption. In order to understand how designers can rethink this always negative balance and outcome of waste creation, research was done to understand packaging and preservation of PVFs from both a technological and consumer perspective. A mixed research approach was applied, including literature study, expert interviews, packaging analyses, consumer survey and photo study. In sum, we concluded that the main function of packaging is preservation, including both protection from outside influences and conservation in best possible conditions. Optimal preservation should consider each PVF's respiration and transpiration needs, and ethylene sensitivity. Consumers are mostly not aware of correct preservation methods. However, on the other hand, their awareness evokes an important tendency to ban plastics without considering their positive impact on food preservation. In the paper, design opportunities are formulated for new reusable packaging, reducing waste creation and offering higher quality in food preservation and consumer experience.

Keywords

Circular economyFood wasteDesign engineeringEcodesignPackaging design
Type
Article
Information
Proceedings of the Design Society , Volume 3: ICED23 , July 2023 , pp. 3781 - 3790
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BYCreative Common License - NCCreative Common License - ND
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/), which permits non-commercial re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is unaltered and is properly cited. The written permission of Cambridge University Press must be obtained for commercial re-use or in order to create a derivative work.
Copyright
The Author(s), 2023. Published by Cambridge University Press

References

Barlow, C.Y. and Morgan, D.C. (2013), “Polymer film packaging for food: An environmental assessment”, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Elsevier, Vol. 78, pp. 74–80, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.RESCONREC.2013.07.003.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bartz, J.A. and Brecht, J.K. (2002), Postharvest Physiology and Pathology of Vegetables, CRC Press.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Becker, B. and Fricke, BA. (1996), “Transpiration and respiration of fruits and vegetables”, SCience et Technique Du Froid (France).Google Scholar
van den Berge, R., Magnier, L. and Mugge, R. (2021), “Too good to go? Consumers’ replacement behaviour and potential strategies for stimulating product retention”, Current Opinion in Psychology, Elsevier, Vol. 39, pp. 66–71, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.COPSYC.2020.07.014.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bernot, K. (2018), “How do refrigerator crisper drawers work?”, available at: https://thetakeout.com/how-do-refrigerator-crisper-drawers-work-1826545233 (accessed 7 December 2022).Google Scholar
Bosch. (2010), “Bosch VitaFresh Technology Tackles Crisper Drawer Confusion”, available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2010/07/07/1184179/0/en/Bosch-VitaFresh-Technology-Tackles-Crisper-Drawer-Confusion.html (accessed 7 December 2022).Google Scholar
van Droogenbroeck, E. and van Hove, L. (2020), “Intra-household task allocation in online grocery shopping: Together alone”, Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, Pergamon, Vol. 56, p. 102153, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/J.JRETCONSER.2020.102153.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dunlap, R.E., Van, K.D., Primen, L., Mertig, A.G. and Jones, R.E. (2000), “Measuring Endorsement of the New Ecological Paradigm: A Revised NEP Scale”, Journal of Social Issues, Vol. 56 No. 3, pp. 425–442.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Duret, S., Hoang, H.M., Derens-Bertheau, E., Delahaye, A., Laguerre, O. and Guillier, L. (2019), “Combining Quantitative Risk Assessment of Human Health, Food Waste, and Energy Consumption: The Next Step in the Development of the Food Cold Chain?”, Risk Analysis, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Vol. 39 No. 4, pp. 906–925, https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/RISA.13199.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Foundation, Ellen MacArthur. (2016), The New Plastics Economy: Rethinking the Future of Plastics.Google Scholar
Foundation, Ellen MacArthur. (2019), Reuse – Rethinking Packaging.Google Scholar
European Parliamentary Research Service. (2019), EU LEgislation in Progress - Single-Use Plastics and Fishing Gear: Reducing Marine Litter, Brussels.Google Scholar
Fancello, G., Paddeu, D. and Fadda, P. (2017), “Investigating last food mile deliveries: A case study approach to identify needs of food delivery demand”, Research in Transportation Economics, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.retrec.2017.09.004.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Fillion, L. and Kilcast, D. (2002), “Consumer perception of crispness and crunchiness in fruits and vegetables”, Food Quality and Preference, Elsevier, Vol. 13 No. 1, pp. 23–29, https://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0950-3293(01)00053-2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hardenburg, R., Watada, A. and Wang, C. (1990), The Commercial Storage of Fruits, Vegetables, and Florist and Nursery Stocks.Google Scholar
Gustavsson, Jenny, Cederberg, Christel, Sonesson, Ulf, van Otterdijk, Robert and Meybeck, Alexandre. (2011), Global Food Losses and Food Waste – Extent, Causes and Prevention, Rome.Google Scholar
Mal, J. (2016), “Factors That Influence the Respiration of Fruits and Vegetables - FoodCrumbles”, available at: https://foodcrumbles.com/respiration-fruits-vegetables/ (accessed 7 December 2022).Google Scholar
Mulder, J. and Bruijne, M. de. (2019), “Willingness of Online Respondents to Participate in Alternative Modes of Data Collection”, Survey Practice, Survey Practice, Vol. 12 No. 1, pp. 1–11, https://dx.doi.org/10.29115/SP-2019-0001.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Péneau, S. (2006), Freshness of Fruits and Vegetables: Concept and Preception, https://dx.doi.org/10.3929/ETHZ-A-005212920.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Europe, Plastics. (2021), “Plastics save food and resources”, available at: https://www.plasticseurope.org/en/about-plastics/packaging/plastics-save-food-and-resources (accessed 25 January 2021).Google Scholar
Rojas-Graü, M.A., Oms-Oliu, G., Soliva-Fortuny, R. and Martín-Belloso, O. (2009), “The use of packaging techniques to maintain freshness in fresh-cut fruits and vegetables: a review”, International Journal of Food Science & Technology, John Wiley & Sons, Ltd, Vol. 44 No. 5, pp. 875–889, https://dx.doi.org/10.1111/J.1365-2621.2009.01911.X.Google Scholar
Schweitzer, J.-P., Gionfra, Susanna, Pantzar, Mia, Mottershead, David, Watkins, Emma, Foivos Petsinaris, Patrick ten Brink, et al. (2018), Unwrapped: How Throwaway Plastic Is Failing to Solve Europe's Food Waste Problem (and What We Need to Do Instead), Brussels.Google Scholar